Bae, Kim Fire 69s To Share First-round Lead At Junior Girls Championship
Youth was the order of the day as 13-year-old Sophia Bae and 15-year-old Yoona Kim, both of Edgewood, each shot rounds of three-under-par 69 to hold a one-shot lead after the first round of the 36-hole 63rd NJSGA Junior Girls Championship at Royce Brook Golf Club (West Course) in Hillsborough.
One shot off the lead was Christina Shao of New Jersey National, the runner-up in the state high school Tournament of Champions. She was followed by three girls at even par- 2015 champion Ami Gianchandani of Montclair, the high school champion, Sun Hwang of Overpeck and Tiya Chowdary of Neshanic Valley.
Defending champion Madeline Jin was not in the field of 45 girls age 18 and under and not yet attending college.
A 14-year-old, Emily Luu of Town and Country Links, a resident of Mullica Hill, recorded her first hole in one when she aced the par-3, 104-yard No. 8 hole with a pitching wedge. She is a rising sophomore at Clearview High School.
Bae last year was runner-up in the event to Jin at Colts Neck Golf Club. Bae, who turns 14 on Sept. 4, is a rising sophomore at Old Tappan High School. She is the fourth ranked junior in New Jersey and was runner-up in the AGJA event this year at Penn State.
“I like playing links-style courses like this. It wasn’t windy today, which made it easier. I played here once before and made a note that there were a lot of bunkers here and I managed to stay out of them today,” Bae said.
On the day, she carded six birdies and three bogeys. She three-putted for all three bogeys. Her eight-iron from 127 yards to one foot provided the initial birdie at the 336-yard second hole.
“I’m proud of myself for shooting a 69. Last year at Colts Neck I was tow-under after the first day. It would mean a lot to me to win this. I play with these girls a lot and it would mean a lot to beat them,” Bae said.
Kim, a rising sophomore at Immaculate Heart Academy in Westwood, matched the career low she set last summer in an AJGA event in Chantilly, Va. This spring, she won an IMG event at Tarpon Springs, Fla., and was medalist at U.S. Girls qualifier in 2016 at Springfield, Va.
Kim, Shao and Gianchandani will all be playing in the U.S. Girls’ Junior at Boone Valley C.C., in Missouri, July 24-29.
“My putting was good today. And a couple of good drives got me in good position,” Kim said.
She drained a 25-footer for par on the 309-yard, par-4 No. 4, and a 16-footer on the short par-4 No. 16. She made a 10-foot putt for a needed par save on the par-3 No. 17. She had five birdies and two bogeys for the round.
“I came close last year, finishing third. To win this would be a huge confidence builder, especially with al the good girls in the field this year. It would be huge to win this,” Kim said.
